Kyrie, Dame, and Haliburton Return After a Combined 1,600 Days on the Couch

If you feel like you haven't seen Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, or Tyrese Haliburton play basketball in a literal lifetime, your internal clock is working perfectly. According to Underdog NBA, all three All-Star point guards are officially returning to the floor tonight after missing the entire 2025-26 season.

The sheer volume of missed time here is staggering. Kyrie has been out for 597 days recovering from a knee injury. Dame has been sitting for 542 days, and Haliburton has been rehabbing an Achilles tear for 486 days. For context, 597 days is enough time to learn a new language, build a house, or completely forget what an NBA defense looks like.

"Underdog NBA noted the exact days since each player last played a regular season or playoff game."

Now, they are all being thrust right back into the starting lineups. Dallas spent all of last year trying to patch their Kyrie-sized hole with guys like Brandon Williams, Ryan Nembhard, and even Cooper Flagg playing out of position. Having a healthy 34-year-old Irving back means the Dallas Mavericks finally have a primary ball-handler again, assuming his knee holds up to the speed of the modern game.

The Indiana Pacers are in a similar boat, desperately needing Haliburton to bounce back and fix their offensive engine, while the Portland Trail Blazers finally get Lillard back on the court. From a betting and fantasy perspective, tonight is an absolute minefield. Sportsbooks are going to be sweating the player props, because nobody actually knows how to price a guy who hasn't logged a competitive minute since the previous presidential administration.

You have to assume all three will be on some kind of strict minutes limit, but the sheer talent returning to the active roster tonight shifts the entire landscape of the league. We will find out immediately if these guys spent the last 500-plus days finding the fountain of youth or if this comeback tour is going to require a massive adjustment period.